Shloka 11

मयेन सभानिर्माणम्

Maya’s Construction of the Assembly Hall

Devanagari script

यत्रेष्ट सर्वभूतानामी श्वरेण महात्मना,भरतश्रेष्ठ! वहीं सम्पूर्ण भूतोंके स्वामी महात्मा प्रजापतिने मुख्य-मुख्य सौ यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान किया था, जिनमें सोनेकी वेदियाँ और मणियोंके खंभे बने थे

Transliteration

yatreṣṭa-sarvabhūtānām īśvareṇa mahātmanā | bharataśreṣṭha! vahīṃ sampūrṇa-bhūtānāṃ svāmī mahātmā prajāpatiḥ pramukha-pramukhānāṃ śataṃ yajñānām anuṣṭhānaṃ kṛtavān, yeṣu suvarṇa-vedikāḥ maṇi-stambhāś ca nirmmitāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O Bester der Bharatas! An eben diesem Ort vollzog Prajāpati, der großherzige Herr, der Souverän aller Wesen, hundert erlesenste Opfer. Bei diesen Riten waren die Altäre aus Gold, und die Pfeiler waren mit Edelsteinen besetzt.“

Word by Word

यत्रwhere

इष्टम्sacrifice (the act of sacrificing)

सर्वभूतानाम्of all beings

ईश्वरेणby the Lord

महात्मनाby the great-souled one

भरतश्रेष्ठO best of the Bharatas

वहhe (that one)

सम्पूर्णentire

भूतोंकेof beings

स्वामीlord, master

महात्माthe great-souled one

प्रजापतिनेby Prajapati

मुख्य-मुख्यchief, principal (repeated for emphasis)

सौa hundred

यज्ञोंकाsacrifices

अनुष्ठानperformance, observance

कियाdid, performed

थाwas

जिनमेंin which

सोनेकीof gold

वेदियाँaltars

औरand

मणियोंकेof gems

खंभेpillars

बनेwere made, became

थेwere

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bharataśreṣṭha (addressed listener, i.e., Janamejaya)

Prajāpati

yajña (sacrifices)

suvarṇa-vedikā (golden altars)

maṇi-stambha (gem-pillars)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage elevates yajña as a paradigm of dharmic order: a rightful sovereign (Prajāpati) sustains the world through properly performed rites, symbolizing responsibility, legitimacy, and the maintenance of cosmic and social harmony.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a revered location by recalling that Prajāpati once conducted a hundred principal sacrifices there, marked by extraordinary ritual splendor—golden altars and gem-studded pillars—thereby establishing the site’s sanctity and prestige.